I’m here with Nadine Brandes, author of the awesome Out of Time trilogy for an interview! The Out of Time series is a Christian dystopian trilogy. Most of my GoodReads friends raved about the first book, A Time to Die. I love dystopian books and knew I had to check it out! It’s one of few series that resulted in lots of fan-girling for me. 🙂 So I’m really happy to be able to share the interview with you!

Here we go!

Ashley Bogner: If you had to pick your top three favorite books or series, what would be on the list?

1) the Bible (I know that seems like a cheesy answer, but I just can’t start a day without it!)

2) Harry Potter series — Because they had such a huge impact on my imagination!

3) The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, because they’re the best and most inspiring historical fiction I’ve ever read in my life.

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

READ! But that’s expected. I also enjoy cooking, traveling (I think traveling should totally be a hobby), rock climbing, reorganizing my bookshelves, and playing the piano.

Reorganizing bookshelves is definitely a hobby. 🙂

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Frankly, I adore all of it (yes, even editing!) But I think my favorite is when I first get a new idea and the excitement of developing it totally takes over my brain for several days. Those days are magical—when anything seems possible.

I also love the editing process!

Who is your favorite character in the Out of Time series?

How can you ask me this?!?! *dies* Obviously, I have to say Parvin. Probably because she is so much like teenage Nadine—and teenage Nadine and teenage Parvin would have made good friends. But don’t tell me to pick between Jude and Solomon. I can’t. I just….no.

Is there a certain Scripture verse/passage that particularly influenced the series?

There are several! Pretty much the entire book of Ecclesiastes, but also Isaiah 42:6-7 (book 1), Jeremiah 1:6-8 (book 2), and Isaiah 60:1-2 (book 3).

What is the biggest message or takeaway you hope readers pull from your books?

Well, it’s been amazing to hear the different takeaways that each reader finishes the book with—they vary so greatly and I love seeing how God weaves different themes in that I didn’t expect, that touch different readers.

But when I wrote the books, it was with the hope that readers would walk away with a new understanding that, no matter how dark life gets, there is always hope. And that we have a purpose in our lives — to help return the world to how it was intended to be. Shalom! I also really hoped that Parvin would be relatable and feel like a friend that my readers could journey with.

(I could go on and on with this. 🙂 )

One of the things I loved about the trilogy is that it does offer hope even in dark circumstances. That’s something definitely missing from a lot of dystopian novels.

Can you tell us anything about your latest project?

Actually yes! My latest project is a historical fantasy set in 17th century London. I will have many more details to share very soon via my newsletter. But you can prepare yourself for dark alleys, color magic, alchemists, midnight duels, and secret plots hatching in tunnels beneath London.

The book is a standalone and should release sometime in 2018.

Sounds super interesting! 😀 Can’t wait until we can all read it.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Keep writing! The writing journey can be very bipolar—encouraging one day, discouraging the next. Just keep pushing through. No matter how much you despair over a project, there will be times of rejoicing over it just around the corner. 🙂

And, if you ever can, attend a writers conference and connect with other writers! It will change your life. 🙂

Writer’s conferences are amazing!

Thank you so much for letting me interview you!

More about Nadine Brandes:

NADINE BRANDES once spent four days as a sea cook in the name of book research. She is the author of the award-winning Out of Time Series and her inner fangirl perks up at the mention of soul-talk, Quidditch, bookstagram, and Oreos. When she’s not busy writing novels about bold living, she’s adventuring through Middle Earth or taste-testing a new chai. She and her Auror husband live in a Tiny House on wheels. Current mission: paint the world in shalom.

I am very excited that today I’ll be posting an author interview! Thank you very much to homeschooled author, Shantelle Hannu! She is the author of A Dream Not Imagined, a sweet Cinderella retelling. Here is a little bit about her:

Shantelle Mary Hannu was born in the mountainous west, spending her golden childhood years there. Since then, she has relocated time and again with her parents and seven siblings, making cherished memories in both the South and Central United States.A Christian homeschool graduate, Shantelle has a passion for writing and all things books. From a young age she’s been penning tales with a hope of sharing with the world adventurous and soul-stirring stories that bring glory to God.

A Dream Not Imagined, a fairytale novella, is her first published book. She’s currently preparing a full-length fantasy novel for publication as well, and working on its sequel.

One of Shantelle’s joys is connecting with fellow writers and readers! 🙂

I was inspired to write a Cinderella retelling because there was a contest going on for that. And I just love fairy tales and adding a meaningful message!

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what bands/artists are your favorites?

It depends. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Lauren Daigle is one of my favorite artists right now. I also enjoy violin/cello music.

Can you tell us anything about your current project?

Yes! 🙂 I recently finished re-writing a fantasy story called Silver Rose. It’s a bit of a Christian allegory, and full of adventure, struggles, and a little bit of romance. I’ve sent it to some beta-readers, and am hoping to start the publication process after going over their work!

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

To have a “power hour”! When I’m on a writing deadline (of sorts), it really helps to set aside an hour each day to write. A full hour – no distractions, no checking facebook, etc. Just write. It helped me so much with re-writing Silver Rose!
Thanks for having me on your blog, Ashley! I’m honored! 🙂

Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! I can’t wait to read Silver Rose when it comes out!

I’m very excited to announce that I had the opportunity to interview Tricia Mingerink, author of the Christian fantasy series The Blades of Acktar. The series has quickly become a favorite amongst my Goodreads friends, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Dare (you can read my review here). I have yet to read the second and third books, but they are very high on my to-read list! If you like magic-free fantasy stories with strong Christian themes, then I think you’ll enjoy Dare.

Two years ago, I met teen author Kayla Woodhouse at a writer’s conference. She wrote–and published–her first novel with her mom when she was twelve-years-old! I was very excited when she agreed to do a interview. She’s such a sweet person with a love not only of writing, but of sharing God’s Word as well.

Hello, everyone! I had the opportunity of interviewing David Fessenden, author of Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract and the novel The Case of the ExplodingSpeakeasy, a fun historical mystery. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Fessenden at a writer’s conference. He has a great sense of humor, both in person and in his books (I’m noticing a common theme in books I like to read…hmm…).

This week’s post: an interview with Tim Shoemaker, author of the exciting teen mystery novel, Code of Silence, and the sequels, Back Before Dark and Below the Surface! I had the pleasure of meeting him at both the 2014 and the 2015 Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference. He’s a really cool guy with a great sense of humor, which shines through in his books. 🙂 I was honored that he agreed to do this interview.

In 2160, a teenager becomes the bait to capture her missing revolutionary parents she thinks are long dead. Grey Alexander has one goal—to keep herself and her younger sister Orinda alive. Not an easy feat living unconnected in the North American Wildlife Preserve, where they survive by smuggling contraband into the Mazdaar government’s city zones. If the invisible electric border fence doesn’t kill them, a human-like patrol drone could. When her worst fear comes true, Grey questions everything she she thought she knew about life, her missing parents, and God. Could another planet, whose sky swirls with orange vapors and where extinct-on-Earth creatures roam free, hold the key to reuniting her family?

I had the opportunity to interview the author, C.J. Darlington, about Jupiter Winds.

Connect

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I'm an avid reader, a college student, and the author of Reintegration. On this blog you can find book and movie reviews, author interviews, Christian living posts, and updates on my writing. Feel free to leave comments!

Thank you very much for stopping by!

--Ashley Bogner

Want to Be Notified of New Posts?

Would you like to be e-mailed whenever a new post is published? Just enter your e-mail address below!